The Fading Horizon
by Clever Insanity
Summary: [AU] Li Syaoran: Successful lawyer and proud single father of six year old Li Shiori. Kinomoto Sakura: Middle class worker, just trying to make it by in life. How are these two people related? Well, it seems Shiori thinks Sakura’s her mother...
1. Something's Missing

**The Fading Horizon**

**By Clever Insanity**

**Summary:** (AU) Li Syaoran: Successful lawyer and proud single father of six-year-old Li Shiori. Kinomoto Sakura: Middle class worker, just trying to make it by in life. How are these two people related? Well, it seems Shiori thinks Sakura's her mother…

Loosely based off the Filipino Movie "Till There Was You".

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "Till There Was You" or CCS. I just like writing about it. Makes my world go round. Yeah! (I'm so cool. ) I don't plan on making profit and this is for my sheer enjoyment. Hopefully the readers find it enjoyable too.

**A/N:** To those of you have watched the movie, I plan to take the basic plot of said movie, but I think I'm going to take it into my own hands and twist the plot up even more. Hehe.

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**Chapter One: Something's Missing**

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_KUSO! _

Where the hell did I go wrong? Seriously, can someone tell me? I mean, this whole situation isn't supposed to happen to _me. _I was supposed to finish college, plow on to law school, and somewhere in the midst of my crazy and hectic life, I was supposed to be happy and start a family. Yeah, and that got me where?

I've managed to get about one thing on my list done. I completed college. Okay, so it is a load off my shoulders but it's absolutely nothing compared to what I have to do now. I sighed as I reached into my pocket, careful to watch the road and steer the car with one hand while doing so. Once I had managed to pull out my cell phone, I flipped it open and pressed a button that automatically called a house that I hadn't intended on calling for a very, very, very long time.

At least, not until I was done with all the things in my list.

Pressing the cell phone against my right leg, I managed to make the call go on speaker. After placing the cell phone in the clasp that hung by my radio, I listened intently to the shrill, high-pitched rings. When I heard the faint click that signaled someone had picked up, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

Perhaps I was too jittery to call like this, while on the road and completely unable to multitask. But hey, what the heck? Worse people were on the road…

"What do you want, little brother?"

Huh? Oh right! The phone…

"Ni hao? Fuutie, is that you? Well, can you give the phone to - "

"Fuutie? This is Feimei, Xiao Lang!" my sister screeched indignantly.

I didn't feel the need to make a snide comment or even simply laugh. It caught my sister off guard though. "Okay. Fine then. _Feimei_, give the phone to Mother, please."

"But…you _never_ mix us up. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, of course something's wrong! Why else would I call? I mean, argh! Never mind, just give the phone to Mother, please."

"But Xiao Lang - "

"Feimei!"

"Okay, okay."

I slowly came to a stop in front of a red light. My knuckles had turned white since I had been gripping the steering wheel for so long. I quickly released my death grip, afraid I'd break the steering wheel off if I'd held it like that any longer.

"Xiao Lang…" the voice came out low and expectant, almost as if it knew that something had gone terribly wrong. I subconsciously winced at the sound of her voice.

"Ni hao, Mother."

There was a beat, silent as the air thickened even with the great distance between us that was growing smaller and smaller the more I drove. I opened my mouth to say something to make simple conversation before I brought up the real reason I had to call. Yet, leave it to my mother to go directly to the point.

"Well, it is a pleasure to hear from you," she had begun, seemingly adding 'at all' silently to the end of her sentence with her tone. "But I must ask…"

I held my breath.

"What is that sound?"

I blinked, not expecting to hear those exact words from my Mother. I was expecting something more on the lines of "What the heck did you mess up now?" Pressing on the gas pedal to speed up and pass the slow, little, blue car in front of me, I muttered an intelligent, "What?"

"It…sounds like faint crying."

I gulped, my eyes darting over to the bundle of blankets that lay in the car seat right beside me. The damn thing wouldn't stop crying no matter what I did! I fed her the bottled milk. I rocked her endlessly all last night. I was close to just throwing her out the-

_Okay, calm down…don't want to do that. You love the little girl, remember? She's your own flesh and blood. She's…oh Kami-sama…_

"I…Mom? There's a problem."

"Oh really?" was my mother's dry response.

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The sun was shining beautifully over the town of Tokyo. After a long array of thunderstorms that had been falling for a week, the sun was most appreciated by one little girl who hadn't been to the playground for quite a while. Her cheerful laugh reverberated from where she currently was swinging, eyes sparkling with delight. Her long mane of dark, chestnut brown hair flew behind her as she swayed back and forth.

"Shiori-chan!"

The little girl turned her head to see who had called her name. She smiled as she recognized the woman, lowering her legs so that she could make the swing come to a stop. Hopping off the strap of leather held up by two silver chains, Shiori ran towards her caller. "Oba-san!" she cried. "What are you doing here? Is everyone back from Hong-Kong?"

Fanren nodded in response. "Hai, Shiori-chan," she uttered, her grin never leaving her face as she scooped up the little girl into her arms and rested Shiori on her hip. Shiori squealed in delight as she was picked up and then clasped onto her aunt's side. "Ne, Shiori-chan, why don't we bring you home?" she said, turning in the direction of the Li Apartment.

Shiori gasped and shook her head violently, attempting to get out of her aunt's grasp. "Iie! Iie! Iie! I want to stay here, Oba-san! It's not even dark yet! One more hour, onegai!"

Frowning, Fanren struggled to keep Shiori close to her. Despite the girl's reasoning, it had already begun to get dark, the sun fading away in the horizon. Syaoran had told her to come and pick up Shiori, insisting that she'd be more than delighted to leave with her. Hmm…sure didn't seem that way.

Of course, Wei was present, having been the one to watch over her while she played. It wasn't smart to allow a young girl to waltz around the streets of Tokyo where she could easily be kidnapped, run over, or in any way hurt. Sure, Wei had grown a bit older but he still could manage a little girl at the very least. Taking care of the Li children was what he loved to do, always watching over them with a patient yet amused gaze. Fondly, Wei watched over Fanren and Shiori from afar, wondering if he should intervene and help them. But as he was about to lift himself up and compromise with the girl, a grin spread over Fanren's face.

"Oh, but you'll want to go home. The others are making dinner as we speak. Don't you want to help out? It's a lot of fun! And, if you're sneaky enough, you can take an egg roll and eat it while your cooking." At that point, Fanren looked put out. She pouted, "But I can't pull it off anymore, but if you can…make sure to get some for Oba-san, alright?"

Shiori giggled and swatted at her aunt playfully. "I can't do that, Oba-san! You know that. Demo…I still want to play. It's okay, you guys cook. I'll just stay here for another - "

"Oh no you don't," Fanren said, tightening her grasp. Her little brother would be coming home soon and he'd have a fit if she couldn't do something as simple as bringing his little girl home. Sure, he makes it sound so easy but has he ever done it before? Fanren knew that stubbornness anywhere. The girl was just like her father.

Fanren sighed, clasping her arms around the little girl's waist. Shiori had already managed to get down to the ground and was trying to run back to the ladder of the slide. There was only one way she knew how to solve this.

"If you don't come home now, I would be too late after you ate, showered, and got into bed to be able to read your newest letter that came for you in the mail…"

Shiori suddenly stopped struggling and turned around slowly, her eyes as wide as saucers. "From…?"

Fanren simply nodded. But when Shiori began to jump up and down with excitement, the woman wondered if what she had done was the right thing. Biting her lip as she stood up straight, she offered her hand to Shiori so they could finally head home. "Are you going to come now?" she asked with a wary smile.

Shiori nodded frantically, grabbing onto her aunt's hand. But when they turned around, Shiori let go of Fanren's hand and ran over to another, more elderly, woman. She stood with practiced grace, her head held up high, a small smile tugging at her lips as she embraced her little treasure.

"Obaa-san!" Shiori greeted, clinging to Li Yelan's leg. Conveniently, Yelan's long fingers curled around the child's ears as the grandmother returned the embrace to her granddaughter.

"Didn't Xiao Lang say we had to finish that business, Fanren?" Yelan asked her daughter softly.

"How else was I supposed to get her home?" Fanren retorted gingerly, careful not to sound disrespectful although she possessed a strong urge to cross her arms and pout.

"I'm sure you could find other ways," Yelan answered, guiding Shiori slowly back to the apartment.

"Did you hear, Obaa-san?" Shiori asked excitedly. "Okaa-san sent me another letter! Let's get home quickly, ne? Haiaku! Haiaku!"

Yelan nodded solemnly before taking hold of Shiori's hand and crossing the street. Wei and Fanren followed close behind. Nobody said a word and all that could be heard was the faint taps against the concrete sidewalk that Shiori's feet made as they merrily skipped along.

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"Tadaima!" Shiori called, after one of her oba-sans had opened the door. She glanced around, and then rushed over to the wooden table across the hall. The smell of newly cooked food permeated through the fairly large apartment. She settled quickly into her own chair, ready to dig into the food that was set before her. Her smile widened as she restlessly waited for the others to join her.

"Itadakimasu!" All four oba-sans, Shiori, and Yelan said, before they began to eat. Shiori, while finishing off the rice from the bowl beside her, glanced around the table and frowned. "Otou-san…where is he?"

"Still at work, little one," Shiefa responded. "He'll be home soon, I promise."

"At least he better be!" Feimei cried.

"Ehhh?" Shiori gasped.

"Oh shush! Don't listen to her, Shiori-chan," Shiefa said.

Finishing the food on her plate, Shiori placed her spoon and fork down and was about to leave the table when Yelan stopped her. "Shiori, what do you need to do first?"

Shiori dropped her head and quietly asked if she may be excused. Yelan excused her and informed the little girl it was time for her bath. Shiori shrieked when all her four aunts chased after her, screeching, "It's time for kawaii Shiori-chan to take a bath!"

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Shiori sat on her bed, her legs folded neatly beneath her. Her eldest aunt, Fuutie, was currently brushing the knots out of her long, dark hair. In the mirror that hung over the dresser in Shiori's room, one could see the brightened expression that was on little Shiori's face as she grasped the paper and envelope in her hands. She was so busy looking over the picture of her Mother that she couldn't see the frown etched so deeply on Fuutie's face. After combing through one last time, Fuutie pulled the long mane of hair and placed it over her niece's left shoulder. "Shiori-chan?" Fuutie whispered, bowing her head. "Gomen ne…"

Shiori turned around, confused. "Eh? Dosh-"

"Shi-Oh-Ri!" came a voice from the bedroom door. "Shiori-chan, aren't you going to greet your Otou-san?"

Shiori jumped up from her bed and ran over to Syaoran, attaching herself to his leg. "I was waiting for you to come home, Otou-san! Mou…you take too long!"

Syaoran let out a laugh and placed a hand on her head of flowing chestnut tresses. "Gomen ne, Shiori-chan. I had a busy day at work today. Eh? Oh Fuutie! Arigatou for watching over Shiori tonight. You can…" his voice trailed off as his eyes landed on the crumpled up pieces of paper and the picture that was barely peeking out of the envelope. He eyed his sister fiercely while he carried his daughter back to her bed. Shiori had school the next morning and it was best she had a good night's sleep or she'd be rather cranky by the afternoon.

"Guess what, Otou-san! Okaa-san sent me a letter again! Isn't that great?"

Syaoran nodded his head, pulling the warm comforter up to Shiori's chin. "Wonderful. Well, you go to bed now, okay?"

Shiori let out a 'hai' in between a long yawn. Syaoran then briskly walked out of the room, expecting to hear his sister's hurried steps behind him.

"What were you thinking, Onee-chan? Which one of you did it? Didn't I say that we were going to tell her soon? Tell Shiori the truth. I don't want her going around thinking that…that woman is her mother."

"I know, Syaoran, I know. But, what did you expect us to do? It was the only way Fanren could bring her home! Besides, how are you going to break it to Shiori-chan? Huh? Tell me." She frowned placing both hands on the side of her face. "It'll be so sad to see something as kawaii as Shiori crying…"

Syaoran sighed. "This isn't the time for jokes, Fuutie." Sitting on the black leather coach in the living room, "Fine, I'll just tell her tomorrow. She has to know sometime right? I'll just break it to her easily and we'll see what happens from there…" He buried his aching head in his hands. "Kami-sama…what a mess I'm in…"

Fuutie stood awkwardly in her spot, not daring to make a sound. She knew of Syaoran's temper and how it had grown shorter as his cases became more and more irritating.

"Well, it's not your sisters' fault that your daughter wouldn't stop crying unless she saw that picture of the girl. Don't be so hard on them, Xiao Lang."

Syaoran glanced up slowly from his hands to see his mother glancing down at him pointedly. He knew she was right. Ever since that day Shiori set eyes on that woman, she had been able to become cheerful, to be quiet, to simply let Syaoran have a good night's sleep. It had been okay for him when Shiori was a baby and she didn't know any better but now it was like his little girl depended more on a picture than him. It silently tore him apart.

"So be reasonable, Xiao Lang. Pick a good date to tell your daughter the truth. You can't just bring it up so casually. Have a plan, be prepared for every reaction," Yelan informed him before heading towards the door out.

Syaoran quickly scrambled to his feet. "You don't have to leave, Mother. You can just stay here for the night. It's really cold and - "

"Nonsense, Xiao Lang. After all, our apartment is simply across the street."

Syaoran nodded. "Right…"

"After her birthday," Fuutie whispered, finding her voice.

"What?" Syaoran asked, turning to face her.

"Wait until after Shiori's birthday. It's this weekend isn't it? And she's having that party? Don't ruin it for her, little brother. You can wait that long, can't you?"

Syaoran sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yeah…sure…"

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A/N: Hope you liked the first chapter. You'll get to read the letter from Shiori's "Mother" soon (most likely next chapter). I didn't really introduce Saku-chan into mix yet but she'll be coming shortly. Please read and review! Thanks! Oh, and about the change from first person to third person. I'm very sorry if that confused any of you…I was simply in the mood to take you deep into Syaoran's brain at that time. Then it skips to about six years later. Yeah…I don't think I'll be writing first person anymore for this story. It was just a way to bring you in. Hopefully it served its purpose!

Quick Note:

Ni hao: Hello (mandarin)

Oba-san: Aunt

Onegai: Please

Obaa-san: Grandma

Hai: yes, okay (depending on the context)

Otou-san: Dad

Okaa-san: Mom

Haiaku: Hurry

Iie: No

Tadaima: I'm home

Itadakimasu: Let's eat

Arigatou: Thanks, thank you

Gomen: Sorry

Onee-chan: Older sister

Okay, now I know when I first started out reading anime fanfics, I would've greatly appreciated a little dictionary/glossary like that. I'm not exactly sure if the translations I put up are right. I know I'm crazy to integrate Japanese and English together in the dialogue but…I'm just crazy in general. Now all you Japanese experts out there, if you find a word used incorrectly or a word defined incorrectly, please do tell me! I'm always happy to learn new things. I have a couple friends who take the Japanese class at my school but since it's summer vacation right now, I don't have a lot of access to them because they're out on the beach…or something. D

Well hope you enjoyed!


	2. Fate's Twisted Sense of Humor

**The Fading Horizon**

**By Clever Insanity**

**Disclaimer:** Do I really have to put a stinking disclaimer on every single chapter? O.o Well, whatever. Fine. I will. I don't own CCS. I don't own that stupid movie ("Till There Was You") either. Okay, so it's not a stupid movie. I was squealing so much during said movie…okay…enough ranting, yes?

**A/N:** The dividers that you can normally do while editing the story won't work on my computer for some odd reason. If by chance I can get it to work, I'll replace all the (---) lines. So until then, scene changes are marked by (------) these. Just making it clear…

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**Chapter Two: Fate's Twisted Sense of Humor**

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_Why the hell can't I do ANYTHING right? _

Kinomoto Sakura thrashed around in the bathroom stall she was in, emerald eyes ablaze with pent in anger and frustration. Why was she such a loser? What did she do to make the heavens unhappy with her? Everything she had ever done was for the sake of others and now, she was beginning to wish she could be a normal, selfish, twenty-five year old. She wanted to be busy with life after college, worrying about office outfits, and…actually be excited for the bright future that lay in store for her. Did that really make her a bad person?

Unfortunately fate had a wicked sense of humor and sent Sakura towards another way of life. At the age of sixteen, when she was finally old enough to get a job, Sakura had dropped out of high school to help her parents in supporting the family. At the time, the Kinomoto family didn't even have a cardboard box to their name.

Now, nine long years later, the family was able to buy food and pay the rent without having to be behind on the rental payments. Okay, so things were actually better than that, but Sakura was in a bit of a mood at the moment. In reality, they finally managed to live in a decent house not too far from the train station. Yes, one had to walk a fair amount of blocks to get there…but at least it wasn't like she was walking out of somebody's roach infested basement at five o'clock in the morning so she can make the seven o'clock train into downtown Tokyo. Not that she ever had to, of course.

But the scarcity of living arrangements, food, and basic necessities of life were not the things that were bothering Sakura at the moment.

It was her boss.

Fine, so she wasn't the smartest girl to ring up totals. So she wasn't the most graceful waitress and perhaps she wasn't the most skilled of cooks. She was clumsy and forgetful, but did they really have to hold it against her?

"Don't be such a child," Wantanabe Ryuu, the restaurant's owner, had scolded her. "Come back to Moonlit Lily when you can actually make yourself useful."

Sakura almost threw the tray of food that she was bringing to table twenty-four (or was it twenty-six?) at Wantanabe-san. Instead she simply bowed and delivered the food, albeit having to ask around for a couple minutes who had ordered what. As she had ripped off her white apron, Sakura was informed that she'd receive her last paycheck in the mail. Splendid.

Sakura buried her head in her hands; tear drops slipping from her pools of emerald. How was she going to tell her parents that she was fired…again? As much as she held her parents mostly responsible for the debt they were in, she still loved them very much. She couldn't feel ill will towards them no matter how hard she tried. Sakura worked to become an asset to the family, not a burden. But it seemed like every time she tried to work on her own two feet, she'd be pushed into a corner where she only stumbled down again.

"Sakura-chan? Hey, Sakura-chan, are you in here?" came a pleasant voice from behind the stall. Sakura didn't have to think twice to know who it was.

"H-hai, Tomoyo-chan. I was…ano…I just didn't feel well so…"

"Eh? Well, I do hope you feel better. Should I call in and tell them your sick? I'm sure they'll understand if that's why you're so late…"

"Huh…oh. Iie, Tomoyo-chan. Arigatou, but you don't have to worry about Moonlit Lily. I'm sure they'll find someone to cover for me," Sakura frowned. "Permanently," she added in a whisper.

Whether Tomoyo had heard Sakura's hint towards being fired, she showed no sign of acknowledgement. "No, no, no. I was talking about your shoot in the commercial for Heavenly Ice Cream! I hear it's for a new flavor…or something…"

The bathroom stall door flew open in a millisecond and Tomoyo was smart enough to know to move away before Sakura had a chance to whack her unconscious.

"NANI? That's today!" Sakura cried in surprise.

Tomoyo simply grinned. "I see your doing better now."

"TOMOYO! This isn't funny! And you're telling me I'm late…oh Kami-sama that's TWO jobs!" Sakura's hand flew to her head as she imagined the cut downs and started calculating frantically in her head. Well she didn't need any new clothes, she would have to remind Touya more often not to leave the lights on in the rooms he had already left, and…and…

"Hey! Hey! Anyone in there?" Tomoyo asked, frantically waving her hands in front of Sakura's face. Sakura was shaken out of her daze and slowly Tomoyo's flawless and smiling face came into view. A simple lavender headband pulled her long, dark tresses back making her amethyst eyes shine even brighter, twinkling with amusement.

Sakura looked away only for her eyes to come across their reflection in the restroom mirror. Tomoyo was dressed up in a beautiful black businesswoman's ensemble complete with pinstriped knee length skirt, a crisp blazer, and adorable, shining black pumps. Sakura didn't even want to see herself after gazing at Tomoyo's reflection. She knew what she had thrown on since she had woken up late yet again: her brother's hand-me-down, navy blue tee shirt, a pair of jeans that was so old (but unbelievably comfortable) that the fashionable holes that one had to pay for nowadays simply formed on them. Her light auburn hair was pulled back into a short ponytail and her feet were covered by slightly warn trainers.

Noticing Sakura's terrified gaze at the mirror, Tomoyo giggled softly before she tugged on Sakura's hand. "Well, you can't go there in those clothes can you?" Tomoyo said, leading her friend out of the bathroom. "Come on, we'll go over to my shop and then I'll give you some clothes. While you change, I'll have you go and call the company up. It's not too late; I'm sure I can pull some strings."

Sakura gasped. "Oh, but Tomoyo-chan! I can't do that. It's too much trouble and the clothes - "

"Look adorable on you. And don't worry about it, you can just pay me later!" Tomoyo interjected, eyes sparkling with delight as she complied a presentable outfit that complemented her best friend's figure.

Sakura followed uneasily, wringing her hands. "Demo…"

Tomoyo just simply turned around and winked before shoving Sakura into a changing room.

_I should've known,_ Sakura though while fingering the cloth on the hanger, _that Tomoyo would never accept payment for her 'kind acts of friendship'. I already tried…but doesn't she know it makes me uncomfortable? _

Sakura glanced at the tags on each article of clothing, groaning at the price of each Daidouji Design. It must be wonderful to have one's mother promote what you like to do best. Daidouji Sonomi was the proud owner of Daidouji Toys and promptly opened a shop for her daughter to test how the public received Tomoyo's designs. Seeing the number of customers on a Tuesday afternoon alone was sure evidence that it was going well.

Sakura emerged out of the changing room shyly, her hands glued together behind her back. Tomoyo grinned and hastily pulled her towards the door. "Now, I'll accompany you to the shoot. It's very exciting to get to help, you know! I mean, Sakura, you're so kawaii! I don't understand why you don't do more of these. You'll get more money than just doing all those petty jobs that you do."

Neither confirming nor denying Tomoyo's remarks, Sakura simply remained silent while keeping her gaze on the white skirt that fell in ragged strips to her knees. Despite the uneven ends, there was still this presence of grace and poise that could only be pulled off by a Daidouji Design. Her top was an elegant, light pink, off the shoulder blouse that felt like silk against her skin. The finishing touches were the pair of white, simple, slip on sandals and pink ribbons in her hair.

Only one thing was running through Sakura's mind: why the heck was she so dressed up for an _ice cream _commercial?

Entering the building with Tomoyo, Sakura rushed over to the director's side and bowed repeatedly in remorse for being late. Tsukari-san simply waved it off and requested that it never happen again. Sakura glanced at Tomoyo to which she simply shrugged in return. _Mou…another jerk of a boss…_

Sakura, script in hand, went over her lines before her five-minute break was over. "Welcome to Heavenly Ice Cream, where your every need is simple indeed." Sakura paused for a moment before she asked herself, "What kind of line is that?" Hearing the familiar giggling from behind her, Sakura turned around to find Tomoyo leaning against the back wall. So, since she felt like saying 'to heck with it all', Sakura began to point out some lines that were particularly odd.

"Hah, listen to this: we have a flavor for your every need. Yeah, and what's that supposed to mean?"

Tomoyo shrugged. "Ito…ano…maybe it means for every craving. Like if you crave…watermelon, then there's a watermelon flavor!"

Sakura looked skeptical, "And if I wanted fish…or pizza?"

Laughter filled the air but the two women decided to leave the lines alone. Sakura had hurried off to her spot once it was announced that everyone was to begin working again. A man dressed in all black met her at her mark giving her simple directions, pointing out how the lights and how the camera would move around her, and finally, giving her a strawberry ice cream cone. Tsukari-san simply had to say the word and the set was brought to life.

Sakura went on to say her lines no matter how corny or simply idiotic it made her look. She then went ahead and smiled for the camera where she assumed the jingle would come into the commercial the loudest. When Tsukari-san nodded in approval and called for a "cut", Sakura let out a sigh of relief and allowed herself to lean against the counter.

Taking in the appearance of the set, she marveled at how nicely they put up a convincing old ice cream parlor. Actually, it was just about a quarter of an ice cream parlor but cute and colorful nonetheless. The next take was to include Sakura licking the ice cream cone and proclaiming how wonderful it tasted. She eyed the cone for a minute, as if sizing it up. So it didn't look too bad and it was a wonder why they didn't use a fake. Well, it did have that soft served look that made Sakura's mouth water.

"Alright everyone, time for take two!"

Sakura found herself standing up straighter as the lines just flowed into her mind. She was confident it'd come out just as smoothly from her mouth. Taking a lick, her eyes brightened at the unique taste. It looked like Strawberry, but maybe it was raspberry or simply just a berry mix. Whatever it was, that ice cream was terrific.

"Sugoi!" She exclaimed. "It's delicious!"

Even after that particular take was completed, she continued to devour the ice cream not noticing the stares she was getting from the others. Tomoyo simply coughed into her hand, having looked at Sakura's script and information closely. Finally, somebody spoke up: Tsukari-san.

"I wouldn't eat too much of that if I were you…" he muttered, getting up from his chair and searching around for the nearest snack bar.

Sakura tilted her head. What was the point? They'll have to give her a new ice cream cone for the future takes and it would be a waste to just throw this one away. "Besides," she added. "Isn't this your new line of low-fat ice cream? It can't hurt any then, ne?"

Inaudible sound was escaping from Tsukari-san's voice and as it slowly grew louder she realized it was laughter. Confused and, frankly, a little bit offended, Sakura took a step forward as if it were condescending in the slightest.

"Kinomoto-san, that isn't the low-fat ice cream line," he uttered when his laughter subsided. "It's laxative ice cream. Didn't you hear the jingle?"

As if a greater force was teasing her, the jingle came on loud and clear.

"_You take a scoop and then you poop…" _

And that was all Sakura need to hear before her face promptly turned a lively color of green.

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_Dearest Shi-chan, _

_How are you, my baby? Okaa-san misses you very much! You are being a good girl, ne? _

_I'm very sorry I can't be with you, Shiori-chan. But you know Okaa-san is working very hard right now, I hope to bring peace to the entire world. Isn't that lovely? I really hope you can forgive me for not being able to attend your birthday party. My kawaii little baby is going to be six years old! I'm so proud…_

_How is school coming along? I hope you're having a good time. No one's bothering my baby, yeah? Oh, of course not! My Shi-chan is so kawaii and smart. I'm sure you have a lot of friends._

_So be good for Okaa-san, ne, Shi-chan? Don't give your Otou-san a hard time. Remember to eat your vegetables and brush before you go to bed. _

_I miss you! I love you, _

_Okaa-san_

Shiori gazed fondly at her mother's handwriting, eyes glazing over with love and pride. Setting aside the letter, letting it get lost in the sea of cushions and comforters, she pulled the picture out of the envelope slowly. Wasn't she the luckiest girl in the world to have an Okaa-san so beautiful and kind?

The morning light seeped through her carnation yellow curtains, illuminating the whole cheerful room filled with loads of stuffed animals, toys, and pictures that decorated her walls' shelves. Yet still the girl's eyes were glued to the woman in the picture, her smile seemingly reaching her ears. The woman's auburn hair looked silky and soft while her emerald green eyes glittered with warmth. Shiori felt that was her Okaa-san's smile reserved only for her. It made her feel special and wanted.

It wasn't like she wasn't wanted at home. Oh no, she felt loved by her entire family that stayed close by and her Otou-san was always kind and gentle. Shiori loved them all so very much. Yet, in the dark of night when there seems to be a monster in the closet or under her bed, Shiori always called for her Okaa-san. She prayed every night for her to come home. Shiori was sure that she had wished on every star in the sky that she could see her Okaa-san. But it seems that Fate didn't want that to happen yet so all the little girl could do was be on her best behavior and wait.

Though sometimes in her waiting, she got quite lonely…

"Shiori-chan! It's time to wake up, get up, and dance in the morning sunshine!" Feimei cried, running into her niece's room.

A smile filtered onto Shiori's face and she carefully slid the picture back into her envelope. "Ohayo, Oba-san!" she greeted, bowing her head. Lifting the comforters that had her covered from her waist down, Shiori pulled her legs to fold underneath her covered by her white nightgown.

"Are you ready for another exciting day at school?" Feimei asked, pulling out the crimson and navy blue uniform from the closet.

At the mention of school, Shiori frowned deeply. "Why am I going again? I already went the last two days," she asked, now off her bed and standing in front of her dresser.

"Eh? You don't like school, Shiori-chan?" Feimei asked, turning around with a surprised expression on her face. "But you always come home so happy…"

The little girl shook her head in response, turning away from her mirror to stand in front of her Oba-san awkwardly. "It's not that, demo…"

Feimei tilted her head. "School is where you learn new things and become smarter! Plus, it's a lot of fun to learn with a lot of friends! I'm sure it was a little hard in the beginning, Shiori-chan, but you're making a lot of friends now, ne?"

Shiori glanced up, her eyes wide before returning her gaze back to her shuffling feet. "Hai! Of course - "

"But you still don't want to go?" Feimei asked, crouching down to stand at Shiori's level. "You're a lucky girl, you know that Shiori-chan? All of your oba-sans were home schooled. I had always wanted to go to school with the other little girls when I was your age. Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"Ah…I'll go, Oba-san! I want to go!" Shiori said, taking hold of her uniform that was in Feimei's hands. "I'll go change now, okay?"

"Demo…"

"It's okay! Oh, will you help me and put my hair into braids again, please?" Shiori asked while Feimei helped her pull the shirt over her head.

Feimei simply smiled. "Oh…sure."

Racing down the long staircase, Shiori rushed into the kitchen to find her Obaa-san and her oba-sans sitting at the long dining table. Shiori immediately bowed and uttered a quick, "Ohayo gozaimasu!"

Yelan nodded in response and called for to eat breakfast for it was being served as she spoke. One of the maids pulled out a chair for Shiori to climb into and prepared her silverware. Just as the eggs were about to be served, Syaoran came into the kitchen, one hand carrying a coffee cup and the other fixing his tie.

"I'm late," he muttered irritably under his breath before offering the usual, "Ohayo minna-san."

"Ohayo Otou-san!" Shiori greeted happily. "You'll stay for breakfast right?"

"Gomen ne, Shiori-chan, but I've got to get to work already. I'll see you when I get home, okay?" Syaoran leaned over and kissed the top of her head before waving a final good bye and grabbing his suitcase.

Shiori pouted as the front door slammed shut.

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Jumping out of the car that dropped her off, Shiori headed towards her school building after waving as Wei drove away. Tightening her grip on her school bag, Shiori tried her best to smile at the sensei that had come to the front of the building to bring her to class.

"Shiori-chan! So nice for you to come again, let's bring you to your class, ne?"

Shiori nodded and followed Namiki-sensei to her classroom and said 'arigatou' before slowly walking in. The launch of whispers hit the little girl like a tidal wave. She curled her hands into fists, remembering that she had promised her Okaa-san that she'd be a good girl. She also promised Otou-san that she wouldn't get into any more fights.

"Oh, Shiori-chan! Come in! Come in! We're coloring right now, so go and chose a picture you want to color and go sit at a table. Take out your crayons and have fun!" Wotaru-sensei said as she led Shiori over to a table. The others already sitting there wrinkled their nose but smiled nonetheless. Once the sensei was gone, a snicker hit the air followed by more whispers.

Shiori tried to ignore it, reaching into her bag and taking out her pack of crayons. She clenched her mouth shut and kept her eyes on her picture. Then she felt a nudge.

"Hey! What are you doing back here? You're awful. Even my Okaa-san says so. You have no Okaa-san! I bet you drove her way because you're so horrible."

"I…I do have an Okaa-san. I do. I didn't drive her away. She's on a mission right now so…" Shiori responded softly, eyes closing momentarily before flickering open again.

"Yeah! A mission to get away from you! Look, you don't even have any friends!" the girl replied, flipping her curly dark hair over her shoulder. "Sensei, can I move tables? I don't like it here!" she cried, packing up her own crayons.

"Why can't you leave her alone?" a voice spoke up. Shiori turned in surprise before her eyes lowered and a small smile went on her face.

"Kiyoshi-kun, it's okay," Shiori said in a small voice. "She's going away, see?"

Kiyoshi huffed as he sat down across from her while his twin sister, Kaedae, sat beside Shiori.

"Ohayo, Shiori-chan! Noriko-chan is so mean, no one really likes her," Kaedae whispered.

Shiori simply shrugged and continued to color her picture. As lunchtime rolled around, Shiori, Kaedae, and Kyoshi sat together, looking at each other's obento.

"Ahh…Obaa-san mixed up our obentos again!" Kiyoshi exclaimed, giving the box to his sister. "You have the one with bunny face on it, ne?"

Kaedae nodded. "Hai! Yep, she did mix them up. The teddy bear is really kawaii though. Oh, can I see yours, Shiori-chan? Ah…kawaii! Little hearts…"

"Oh…hai. Demo, your Okaa-san or Otou-san doesn't make your obento?" Shiori asked, tilting her head.

"Eh? Didn't we tell you? We lost our parents too. We live with our Obaa-san and Ojii-san."

"Oh…" Shiori frowned. "But I didn't loose my parents. You know that right?"

Kaedae scratched her head, "But on parents day, you always have your Oba-sans with you. We didn't know…"

"I have an Okaa-san! She's just not in Japan right now! My Otou-san works really hard and he can't take time off of work to come with me to school," Shiori cried, jumping to her feet.

"G-gomen, demo we've never seen them so…"

Tears were rolling down Shiori's cheeks as she shook her head and ran towards the other side of the playground. A light breeze was flowing through the ground as Shiori launched herself into the tire swing. She had thought she had made friends. At least they should believe her, right? It just wasn't fair.

Drying her tears with the back of her hand, Shiori knew that if she hadn't run away she would've wanted to start a fight with the twins. It had happened before and Syaoran had to come to her school and pick her up. Though she wouldn't admit it, she really did wish her Okaa-san would come home so she could show her off to all the class. She did have an Okaa-san.

She'd show them.

They were all wrong.

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**End Note: **

Okay, thanks everyone who reviewed the last chapter. In the beginning I was going crazy with all the hits I was getting but then there turned out to be people who reviewed! Oh my gosh, you guys are the greatest! Now here's some of the questions you guys asked in the reviews and some things I might feel the need to tell you. There are also responses to suggestions here too. Enjoy!

**Q&A: **

_1. The picture Shiori was holding with the letter…that was of Sakura, right?_

Mhmm. You guessed it. I wanted that particular scene in the story to focus on Syaoran's reaction to the photo. In this chapter I go into more detail. You'll notice as the story progresses, the chapters will be come more detailed. Think of it like waiting for a Polaroid picture to develop. First you see main objects but slowly the details fit into place. That's the kind of effect I'm trying to give here…

_2. How fast will updates be?_

I plan on having an update once (maybe twice if I'm happy) a week, at least once every two weeks. But once school starts up, I'm embarking on my toughest year of school so…the updates will come less frequently. I apologize in advance.

_3. What about Shiori's real mother? What the heck happened to her?_

Do you expect me to answer that so quickly? XD That's part of the mystery isn't it? This answer will probably take a while to be answered. Stay tuned.

_4. Why so much Japanese? You speak English! Just chose one!_

Oh I don't know. It depends on my mood, really. I'll try to make it less of a headache for you readers but it's kind of hard with all the family members that Shiori deals with… Also, there are the random words of anger that come from my character's potty mouths. XD But sometimes these things come up in my head in a mixture of japanese and english. It's how I think. I'm weird. XD

_5. Why are Yelan and Syaoran's sisters in another apartment? Why not stay over at Syaoran's with Shiori?_

Yes, it does seem that they spend all their time over in the other apartment and what's the point of going back and forth? Well, Syaoran's apartment isn't big enough to house all of them. It's a three-bedroom apartment (it's really big! o.o), one for Shiori, one for Syaoran, and one for Wei. In the near future, Syaoran is planning on buying a house near the outskirts of Tokyo, in a nice suburb. But we'll hear about that later, kay?

–nod nod-


End file.
